I am a new member from Toronto and a new owner of a 2007 328xi coupe. It is my first car and I have a lot to learn about how to take car of it, especially that it is a BMW.

The first issue is oil change. The car has 86km, the previous owner did a general check-up before the warranty expired at 79km, including changing oil and topping up all fluids. My question is, what interval should I stick to for oil change, keeping in mind that 85% of my commute is highway?
btw, I plan to use Mobil 1 in the 5W-40 or 5W-30 class.

Second, I drive around 90km on the highway everyday to work, and I live only 3 minutes away from the highway. My concern is that when I start driving early in the morning, I dont give the car enough time to warm up before I hit the highway. I try to shift between 2-2500 RPM. Any suggestions?

Third, as I have already stated, it is my first car and it is 6MT. I enjoy every gear shift , however, ever since I was taught how it drive it, I became extremely paranoid about "burning the clutch". Anything I should keep in mind to prolong the life of the clutch? (ie, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, driving in congested traffic ,,, etc.)
btw, I find it very difficult to shit to 2nd in the morning!

Finally, for those living it Toronto, what gas do you fill your cars with? I used PetroCanada 91 and Shell V-Power 91, and it seems that the engine is smoother with Shell's?!

If no codes are being thrown use Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner (concentrate). It solves rpm fluctuating upon cold start-up. Also, for most BMW problems start off by scanning your car with the Peake Research Tool. It contains the actual BMW codes. If you want to register a newly installed battery for free (just buy a $10 cable) and google/download BMWLogger

I am a new member from Toronto and a new owner of a 2007 328xi coupe. It is my first car and I have a lot to learn about how to take car of it, especially that it is a BMW.

The first issue is oil change. The car has 86km, the previous owner did a general check-up before the warranty expired at 79km, including changing oil and topping up all fluids. My question is, what interval should I stick to for oil change, keeping in mind that 85% of my commute is highway?
btw, I plan to use Mobil 1 in the 5W-40 or 5W-30 class.

Factory does it every 24km. Most would recommend every 12km. Everyone has their oil favs, I would recommend LubroMoly or any LL04 (BMW Long Life) spec oil.

Second, I drive around 90km on the highway everyday to work, and I live only 3 minutes away from the highway. My concern is that when I start driving early in the morning, I dont give the car enough time to warm up before I hit the highway. I try to shift between 2-2500 RPM. Any suggestions?(You'll be fine.)
Third, as I have already stated, it is my first car and it is 6MT. I enjoy every gear shift , however, ever since I was taught how it drive it, I became extremely paranoid about "burning the clutch". Anything I should keep in mind to prolong the life of the clutch? (ie, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, driving in congested traffic ,,, etc.)

If I put a gun to your head telling you to burn out the clutch, you would have a tough time doing it. It's tough and made out of a similar material to brake pads. You'll be fine.
btw, I find it very difficult to shit to 2nd in the morning!

Finally, for those living it Toronto, what gas do you fill your cars with? I used PetroCanada 91 and Shell V-Power 91, and it seems that the engine is smoother with Shell's?!

Thanks!

.

I would also recommend to change out all your fluids: brake flush, power steering flush, transmission drain and fill, diff drain and fill etc.

If no codes are being thrown use Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner (concentrate). It solves rpm fluctuating upon cold start-up. Also, for most BMW problems start off by scanning your car with the Peake Research Tool. It contains the actual BMW codes. If you want to register a newly installed battery for free (just buy a $10 cable) and google/download BMWLogger

I would also recommend to change out all your fluids: brake flush, power steering flush, transmission drain and fill, diff drain and fill etc.

Enjoy!

Thank you for the advice, I intend to do this when it hits 100km along Inspection 2.

With regards to type of oil and early morning warm-up, I notice that my oil temp doesnt come close to half until am already close to half-hour on the highway ,,,, Does it really take that long to warm up? Should I use a different oil class for winter and summer?

Also, if most of my commute, 85%, is highway, will this have an effect on what oil change interval I follow?

Thank you for the advice, I intend to do this when it hits 100km along Inspection 2.

With regards to type of oil and early morning warm-up, I notice that my oil temp doesnt come close to half until am already close to half-hour on the highway ,,,, Does it really take that long to warm up? Should I use a different oil class for winter and summer?

Also, if most of my commute, 85%, is highway, will this have an effect on what oil change interval I follow?

1. Depends on what you're definition of Normal Operating Temperature (NOT) is. You should be able to progressively rev higher once you see the gauge start to move.
2. It can take longer to warm up if you're in a colder climate. The 5W30 should be sufficient.
3. The car has an electric water pump that doesn't even turn on till its needed. This helps the engine warm up significantly faster. Your heater will be a better indicator of when your car is starting to reach NOT than when the oil gauge goes to 225-250.

You're over thinking this a little too much though. While its good to warm things up for long, long term durability (like 200k miles), the fluids that have been put in are designed to work for the Joe Shmo who just gets in his car and drives to work.
It's not a racing engine that requires a specific warm up sequence (which is due partly to the particular fluids used in those vehicles).
Warm it up a little, but beyond that, relax and enjoy it.

1. Depends on what you're definition of Normal Operating Temperature (NOT) is. You should be able to progressively rev higher once you see the gauge start to move.
2. It can take longer to warm up if you're in a colder climate. The 5W30 should be sufficient.
3. The car has an electric water pump that doesn't even turn on till its needed. This helps the engine warm up significantly faster. I think your heater will be a better indicator of when your car is starting to reach NOT than when the oil gauge goes to 225-250.

I think you're over thinking this a little too much though. While its good to warm things up for long, long term durability (like 200k), the fluids that have been put in are designed to work for the joe shmo who just gets in his car and drives to work.
It's not a racing engine that requires a specific warm up sequence (which is due partly to the particular fluids used in those vehicles).
Warm it up a little, but beyond that, relax and enjoy it.

Ditto !! Manual says get in start and go. No need to warm it up. But it is a good idea to drive gently for a while at the beginning.

1. Depends on what you're definition of Normal Operating Temperature (NOT) is. You should be able to progressively rev higher once you see the gauge start to move.
2. It can take longer to warm up if you're in a colder climate. The 5W30 should be sufficient.
3. The car has an electric water pump that doesn't even turn on till its needed. This helps the engine warm up significantly faster. Your heater will be a better indicator of when your car is starting to reach NOT than when the oil gauge goes to 225-250.

You're over thinking this a little too much though. While its good to warm things up for long, long term durability (like 200k miles), the fluids that have been put in are designed to work for the Joe Shmo who just gets in his car and drives to work.
It's not a racing engine that requires a specific warm up sequence (which is due partly to the particular fluids used in those vehicles).
Warm it up a little, but beyond that, relax and enjoy it.

Thanks for helping!
I might be over thinking this, but its my first car, and am in the process of learning how to treat her right